A woman was rushed to the hospital early Tuesday morning after she was rescued from her sinking car.

A woman was rushed to the hospital early Tuesday morning after she was rescued from her sinking car.

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Updated: 6:59 PM EDT Aug 16, 2016

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WEBVTT >> WE HEAR THE CRASH. DAVE: A LOUD CRASH -- A CAR CAREENING TOWARD A POND. >> IT WAS SCHWOOM, AND SHE HIT THAT POND AND IT WAS JUST A BIG SPLASH. DAVE: THE URGENCY WAS CLEAR. >> ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE HEAR HER YELLING, "I CAN'T SWIM, I CAN'T SWIM. PLEASE HELP, I CAN'T SWIM." DAVE: VANESSA WARDIA WAS LEAVING HER LATE-NIGHT RESTAURANT JOB WHEN SHE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AT A RED LIGHT. >> REAR ENDS HER WITHOUT APPLYING ANY BRAKES. DAVE: TROOPERS SAY THE IMPACT WAS SIGNIFICANT. THE CAR ENDED UP OVER HERE IN THIS POND, YET THE IMPACT WAS ALL THE WAY OVER THERE AT THE INTERSECTION, MORE THAN A FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY. >> I'M KICKING OFF MY SHOES, TAKING MY CELL PHONE OUT OF MY POCKET. I SPRINT, I JUMP IN THE WATER. DAVE: HE KEPT HER AS CALM AS POSSIBLE UNTIL FIREFIGHTERS FINISHED THE WATER RESCUE. THE DRIVER WHO HIT HER, 20-YEAR-OLD ALEXANDER CHIARAVALLE, WAS ARRESTED FOR DRUNK DRIVING. IN THE REPORT, THE TROOPER SAYS HE COULD SMELL THE STRONG ODOR OF ALCOHOL AND THAT THE 20-YEAR-OLD DURING A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST ATTEMPTED THREE STEPS AND USED HIS RIGHT FOOT TO CATCH HIMSELF FROM FALLING TO THE LEFT. >> WAITING FOR THE LIGHT AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, SHE SAYS, I GOT WATER COMING IN. DAVE: THE CRASH VICTIM'S STEP DAD SAID HE WAS SURPRISED SHE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, BUT ALSO RELIEVED.

Witness describes crash into Orange County pond

A woman was rushed to the hospital early Tuesday morning after she was rescued from her sinking car.